meal ticket

Russian translation: см.

22:16 Nov 27, 2016
English to Russian translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Slang / phraseology
English term or phrase: meal ticket
Mr X, the boss, is having an affair, and his employees know about it. One of them says to her co-worker, "Mr X won't leave his wife. She's too good a meal ticket."
The boss makes good money, and his wife doesn't work. This is happening in 1980's more likely in the South of US.

Thanks in advance.
Anna Shaughnessy (X)
United States
Local time: 18:34
Russian translation:см.
Explanation:
как вариант не буквального перевода:
Он не бросит свою жену. Это слишком дорого ему обойдется/Это ему дорогого будет стоить.

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Note added at 6 days (2016-12-04 17:45:01 GMT) Post-grading
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или "золотая жила"?
Selected response from:

Igor Andreev
Local time: 03:34
Grading comment
Всем спасибо за помощь. Я решила перевести как она для него "золотое дно", т.е. постоянный источник доходов.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5Она же его кормит
Trans-lit
3 +1хорошо обслуживает
VASKON
3 +1без нее он останется без копейки
FreEditor
3 +1см.
Igor Andreev


  

Answers


16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
хорошо обслуживает


Explanation:
I think here it means that Mr's X wife provides a perfect service for him, including good cooking, and he's not intended to drop his comfortable lifestile.

... не бросит свою жену - она его слишком хорошо обслуживает/ (кормит)/ слишком хорошо готовит. (сарказм, конечно)

Regardless the direct meaning - usually just a provider of money


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Note added at 31 мин (2016-11-27 22:47:47 GMT)
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Sorry, if you need a jargon equivalent - она слишком хорошо готовит ему жрачку - as an option ))

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Note added at 49 мин (2016-11-27 23:06:28 GMT)
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//а, это существенно )) и в корне меняет мою версию.
Тогда получается, что она к нему слишком хорошо присосалась и не отпустит его. Но это с точностью до наоборот по отношению к моему первому ответу. Выбирайте )))

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Note added at 1 час (2016-11-28 00:10:03 GMT)
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Here is a MEGA GUESS )) - what if his wife was a reason of his ststus? (Her mighty father, for instance)
Then she might be his meal ticket in a direct meaning.
If so, Anna, please confirm, I can invent a couple of sutable Russian phrases for this plot))


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Note added at 1 час (2016-11-28 00:10:52 GMT)
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//suitable, sorry

Example sentence(s):
  • If you say that something or someone is a meal ticket, you mean that they provide a person with money or a lifestyle which they would not otherwise have. - Collins Dict
VASKON
Russian Federation
Local time: 04:34
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
Notes to answerer
Asker: Мне следовало добавить, что его жена и дома не работает. Наверняка, у них есть обслуга. И она уехала в круиз на месяц без мужа.

Asker: Erzsebet, it's possible that Mr. X's wife came from a wealthy family. It's not clear in the film but I'm leaning this direction.

Asker: Sorry, I meant to answer VASKON's question, not Erzsebet.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Erzsébet Czopyk
1 hr
  -> Thank you, Erzsebet, but I'm not in sync with the film )) I guess, you mean my second version )
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
без нее он останется без копейки


Explanation:
I also think Mr. X's wife comes from a wealthy family. So Mr. X married her for money. The company he is running may also be her family's business. So if they divorce, she will leave him penniless.

FreEditor
Uzbekistan
Local time: 06:34
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in UzbekUzbek

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Landsknecht: "If you marry a wealthy person, friends might gossip that you're using her as a meal ticket" - https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/meal ticket
6 hrs
  -> Thank you!
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Она же его кормит


Explanation:
Мистер Х не бросит свою жену, она ж его кормит" (видимо, с толикой сарказма выражение. Имеется в виду кормит - готовит/обслуживает, а не обеспечивает)

Trans-lit
Russian Federation
Local time: 06:34
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in EnglishEnglish
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
см.


Explanation:
как вариант не буквального перевода:
Он не бросит свою жену. Это слишком дорого ему обойдется/Это ему дорогого будет стоить.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 days (2016-12-04 17:45:01 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

или "золотая жила"?

Igor Andreev
Local time: 03:34
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Всем спасибо за помощь. Я решила перевести как она для него "золотое дно", т.е. постоянный источник доходов.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Maria Krasn: С учетом замечаний Аскера ниже, такой нейтральный, но многозначительный вариант хорошо подойдет.
8 hrs
  -> Спасибо!
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